Tag: #love

By Larry Whiteley

I saw a sign the other day that said – And God said, I will send them without wings so no one suspects they are angels. It also had a big paw print on it. Our family and most of you would agree that dogs are angels without wings. They are loyal, protective, and pure-hearted. They show us humans what unconditional love is.

When commanded, they sit, then stay, then roll over. Their owners sometimes dress them up in costumes. They chase tails, fetch sticks, and lift spirits. They hunt, fish, camp, boat, and hike with you. They help you around the farm. They are your companion and love you without judgment.

With supportive eyes, they can lift the spirits of a broken heart and even lick the tears away. They remain patient and loyal. They do not care how rich or poor you are. They care and cuddle, snuggle and nuzzle. They cheer and charm, snore and slobber. They eat the trash and chase the squirrels or the neighborhood cat.

They bring us together as a family. A dog does not see your flaws. They do see their favorite person in the world. They bark, pant, and wag their tail when someone says something about going for a ride in the car. A dog will do all of that and much more. A dog will never break your heart until it is time for them to say goodbye.

I have said goodbye to many dogs in my life. Trixie and Blackie were both mixed breed dogs on Grandpa and Grandma’s farm where I was born. One of their jobs was to protect Grandma’s chickens from hawks and coyotes. They also ran off any other unwelcome critters, or humans, that came around.

As a kid, I explored around the farm. They were always there with me. Watching over me and showing me love and companionship, only a dog can give.

I remember crying when a rabid skunk bit Trixie. Grandpa had to shoot her. Blackie remained my buddy and was constantly with me around the farm. He died of old age. I cried again.

After Grandpa passed away, Grandma moved to town. Mom and Dad took over the farm. They were not dog lovers. I had no dog buddies except for my neighbor’s dog, Bo. He was a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Beagle with a snub tail.

He loved to go squirrel hunting with me. He was getting old and had a lot of grays around his muzzle. On our last hunt together, he took off barking after a squirrel I had shot and wounded. The barking suddenly stopped. I found Bo lying motionless in some bushes. The squirrel was in his mouth. I buried him that way.

When my parents divorced, I had to leave the farm and move to town with Mom. I had no more dogs until I married, and we had kids. A German Shepherd named Buster was the first of many dogs in our family. What I remember most about Buster was how protective he was with our boys when they were little. When we walked along the road in front of our house, Buster always walked beside them to put himself between them and cars that came by.

He would sometimes wander around the neighborhood. One day, he never came home. Buster was a good-looking German Shepherd. My wife figured someone had stolen him. He finally did come home, but he looked like someone had mistreated him. We loved on him and nursed him back to health. Later, he would disappear again and never return. If he could have, he would have. We were his family.

Our oldest son came home one day with two Beagle puppies in the pockets of his coveralls. We called them Bo-Bo and Junior. Our middle son became especially attached to them. He went looking for Junior one day and found him in a trap. Somebody had shot him. He cried. Months later, Bo-Bo went exploring and never came home. We all have great memories of both.

Our youngest son also had a dog that was his buddy when he was still living at home. Hershey was a Chocolate Labrador and would be the first of many dogs in his life. We all loved that dog.

One day, a friend up the road gave us a blond-haired Poodle that became special to my wife. He was not afraid to fight any dog around. Buffy took on the oldest son’s Blue Tick Hound and several neighbor dogs. It did not matter to him how big they were. We broke up several fights he started.

A dog has a life expectancy of 10 to 13 years. Buffy was part of our family for 13 years. We buried him among the trees on the hill behind our house. A flat rock with his name carved in it marks his grave. It is a tribute to how much Buffy meant to us.

Then, there was our beautiful white German Shepherd named Jed. I love to read books and watch movies about the era of life when Mountain Men roamed the Rocky Mountains hunting and trapping. His name came from Mountain Man Jedediah Smith. One day, he left and never came home. We think a neighbor shot him because he thought he was chasing cattle. I still miss Jed.

The oldest son remained a dog lover after he moved away from home. At one time, he had seven different breeds of dogs of all sizes all at one time. His favorite dog was a mixed breed named Dingo. He had Dingo for eight years before he died of old age. He now has his buddy Stormy, another mixed breed.

When our middle son moved out and married, he had a mutt of a dog named Saspy that was special to him and us. He eventually died of old age. Then came Memphis, a Golden Retriever their two kids grew up with. We all loved Memphis.

He enjoyed our cabin with his family and riding around on our ATV. If we were in the cabin and looked out the window, Memphis would be sitting on the ATV, waiting for someone to take him for a ride.

Memphis developed a congenital heart disease. I went over to check on him when they were at work. I remember lying on the floor, petting and talking to him. He could not lift his head to drink out of his bowl. I would put water in my hand and hold it where he could lick it out.

I told him we all loved him, and his family would be alright. I told him he could close his eyes and go to dog heaven. A few days later, our son took him to the veterinarian to have him put to sleep so he would not suffer. Pictures of him are still on display around their house and our house. He was a special dog to all of us.

It took our son a while to get over the loss of Memphis and get another dog. Partly because they now had grand dogs to enjoy. His kids kept encouraging him to get a dog. They now have another Golden Retriever named Murphy. He says he is a goofball. He loves that dog like all the rest he has had.

Their son married a dog lover, too. His wife also grew up in a dog-loving family. Maverick is their Golden Retriever. Our grandson was into hunting ducks, so his wife got Maverick for him. Then, a little black bundle of energy named Willie joined their family. He is a Cavapoo, a cross between a Spaniel and a Poodle.

Both dogs love to go out on the boat fishing or play in the water. Of course, they have their life jackets on. Our granddaughter-in-law even dresses them up in outfits for the holidays. Both are pretty special to all of us.

Our middle son’s daughter and her husband have two dogs, Max and Dak. Max is a rescue dog nobody wanted. She got him when she was still living at home. She says Max is her cuddle buddy and can turn anyone into a dog person.

Max is my buddy. I have fallen asleep with my arm around him while dog-sitting. He likes it when I or anyone else scratches his belly. We have also been on many walks together.

Dak is the newest member of their family. He is a German Shepherd/Malamute mix. She says he keeps them entertained. They never know when he will be a crazy man or a cuddle bug like Max. Dak always gives her a hug when she gets home from work. He is up for any adventure with his family.

Our youngest son, his wife, and our grandsons live in Wisconsin. The oldest is in college. The youngest is a Senior in high school. They are dog lovers like the rest of us. When the boys were young, they had Alex or Al Pal, as they called him. Our son called him a mutt. He was some special breed. They never found out what. At the same time, they also had Taylor, a Golden Retriever we all called Tatoes.

Later, they had two big English Mastiffs named Belle and Boulder. Then, a Golden Retriever named Harley. They are now gone. But there is now another English Mastiff named Apollo. He loves sleeping with Mom and Dad. He is a big goof and slobbers a lot. He is loved anyway.

Then there is the little yapper Rodger, aka Rodger Dodger, who likes to bark at anything. What he is doing is protecting his home and his family. Over the years, Rodger has become my buddy. I know he misses me when I am not there.

Dogs have all been a special part of the generations of our family. If you and your family are dog lovers, you can relate to a lot of this story because you also have dog stories of your own. Memories of them make you laugh or make you cry.

If you do not have dogs, I hope this story encourages you to become a dog family. You will be glad you did. It can change the lives of you, your family and your dog or dogs for the better.

We have great memories of all our dogs that are no longer here. We are thankful for those we still have who bring so much joy to our lives. They are family. They touch our hearts and our souls. They are blessings from God. To us, they are, or were, “Angels Without Wings.”